Sensing a confusion of fury and... blood thirst?... approaching, Iona swung around, still humming. More men spilled out of the alley. To her utter dismay, at the sight, Isobel crumpled beside the carriage. Telling herself it was just her sister’s reaction to fright, Iona released Wolf and prayed.
The dog eagerly leapt to guard her against the new ruffians rushing toward the tavern entrance.
To Iona’s relief, the rather large Mr. Blair and the professorial viscount finally emerged looking bloodied but determined. Blair held a smoking pistol and appeared prepared to commit murder. But the three gentlemen were completely outnumbered.
And Mortimer was climbing to his knees, reaching for his pocket.
Twenty-three
Gerard breathedin relief as Zane and Blair fought their way out of the hole, both appearing to be mostly in one piece. If he were a gambling man, he’d wager the big Scot inventor had brawling experience. The good doctor, however, merely possessed an instinct for survival and a wicked temper.
Sensing the vibrations of blows before they landed had Gerard ramming his stick backward while swinging his fist and his boots to clear a path for his friends. Clutching a villain by the throat, he received a vibration so violent that he had to glance behind him—to see a band of hoodlums hoisting Mortimer to his feet.
The pistol that Iona’s stepfather held was waving in Gerard’s direction. Behind him and on his other side, he sensed more pistols being drawn. Bullets aimed at him would hit the cellar stairs and quite possibly his companions.
A woman screamed—in fury.Iona. He’d recognize her voice anywhere.
Well, hell.
Acting on what his senses told him—that they were outnumbered and targets—Gerard dived headfirst down the stairs, arms stretched to shove everyone backward. Just as he landed in the midst of the fracas, a barrage of bullets hailed over his head.
He stiffened as pain dug into his shoulder, but he scrambled to prevent breaking anyone’s head. Another pain scorched across his scalp, and he lost the power to fight, collapsing into the tangle of bodies at the bottom of the stairs.
Through the ringing in his ears he heard someone shout “Bees!” And then police whistles shrieked.
He glanced up just enough to see a cloud of bees swarming through a halo from the streetlight. At night. In the cold. His vision was blurring. Perhaps he hallucinated.
As someone cursed and attempted to lift him, he could swear he saw bees covering every inch of the ugly coat Mortimer had been wearing. The shrieks of the thugs attempting to drag the twins’ stepfather away were music to his ears as darkness closed in.
The exertionof calling that ancient, enormous nest of nearly dormant bees left Iona staggering. But she’d seen Gerard fall. She had to reach him while driving the bees in the opposite direction—after Mortimer.
Wolf snarled and snapped and prevented the shooters from going near the cellar stairs. Iona slipped around him as police whistles sent most of the crowd fleeing into the shadows. A few lingered helplessly near the shrieking figures of men covered in bees, but they, too, melted into the darkness as policeman ran down the hill.
Iona had almost reached Gerard when someone grabbed her from behind.
“You can’t lift him. Go home with your sister, my lady. Let us handle this.” Strong hands lifted her and shoved her toward strangers.
Mortimer’s screams had died out. The bees streamed after two figures fleeing down the alley. Her stepfather didn’t flee with them.
Iona thought she recognized Rainford’s ice-blond hair and lean form descending after Gerard and the others as she stumbled backward in the hands of strangers. The marquess was a physician and healer, she vaguely recalled. Of course, Dare was a physician too, but he was down those stairs...
Her heart screamed to stay, even as she was carried away. With the bees buzzing in her head, she had no ability to fight.
“Never saw anything like it,” one of her protectors drawled.
“It was if he had eyes in the back of his head,” the other replied, sounding bewildered. “He swung before they did, and clipped the ones behind him at the same time. Then divedbeforethe bullets flew. Ain’t possible.”
Iona tried to puzzle out the topic, but her head buzzed. She’d released the bees, but there were a lot of them and they lingered. She had to keep them from Gerard.
“Reckon he’s like his witchy mother?”
Finally understanding, Iona shrugged off the helping hands. “You had better hope Ives has abnormal talents so he may live to rescue others someday. He’s a hero.”
If the gentlemen looked startled, she didn’t know. Apparently awake again, Isobel ran toward her, and Iona stumbled over to hug her twin.
“Is that Dare’s carriage?” In relief, Iona dragged her sister toward the impatient horses. “Will the driver take us to Lord Dare’s home? I believe it’s closest.”
The strangers dashed up to assist them. “The marquess said we’re to take you back to the school.”
